The agent that wrote the code shouldn't be the one that says it works.
Independent executor–verifier orchestration for software changes.
npm install -g @the-open-engine/zeroshot
zeroshotRequires Node ≥ 22 and one supported provider. Guided setup detects installed providers, chooses a default, and configures worktree isolation for fresh repositories. Linux and macOS today; Windows is deferred.
cd your-repo
zeroshot run "Add a --json flag with tests"In a git repository, the guided default runs in a separate worktree, so the current checkout is not edited. Use --no-isolation only when you explicitly want the run to modify the current checkout.
Observe the result from another terminal:
zeroshot list
zeroshot logs <id> -f
Unattended, 100× speed · 90-minute run · 5 iterations to approval.
Zeroshot drives a coding agent through an executor–verifier loop. A conductor sizes the workflow, an executor implements the change in an isolated workspace, and a separate verifier judges the observable result. Validators do not share the executor's session or reasoning context; they may receive explicit handoff artifacts and must reproduce reported failures. The loop continues until the change is verified or returns a concrete reason it is not.
Every step is written to a crash-safe SQLite ledger. Bring your own provider and backend: Zeroshot orchestrates their CLIs without storing provider keys.
One run: classify, execute, verify, and repeat when evidence fails.
Provider engines come from the registry: Claude, Codex, bundled Gateway, Gemini, OpenCode, Pi, OMP, Kiro, and Copilot. Model gateways stay behind the single Gateway provider.
zeroshot providers
zeroshot providers set-default codex
zeroshot run 123 --provider geminiIssue sources are auto-detected from repository context or explicit URLs: GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Azure DevOps, and Linear. Each source requires its own authenticated client where applicable. See docs/providers.md for provider installation, model levels, and credentials.
Guided setup defaults fresh repositories to git worktree isolation. Delivery flags cascade: --ship implies --pr, which implies --worktree.
| Mode | Flag | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Git worktree | --worktree |
isolated branch and checkout; guided default |
| Docker | --docker |
container isolation for riskier workloads |
| Current checkout | --no-isolation |
explicit escape hatch; modifies the active checkout |
| Pull request | --pr |
worktree plus PR creation |
| Ship | --ship |
worktree, PR, and merge after approval |
Command reference
zeroshot run <input> # issue, URL, markdown file, or inline text
zeroshot run 123 --docker # container isolation
zeroshot run 123 --pr # worktree + pull request
zeroshot run 123 --ship # worktree + PR + merge after approval
zeroshot run 123 -d # background run
zeroshot list # tasks and clusters (--json)
zeroshot status <id> # detailed status (--json)
zeroshot logs <id> -f # stream logs
zeroshot resume <id> [prompt] # resume a stopped or failed run
zeroshot stop <id> # graceful stop
zeroshot kill <id> # force stop
zeroshot providers # provider availability and defaults
zeroshot settings # effective settings
zeroshot agents list # available agentsDocker credential configuration
Docker mounts and environment forwarding are explicit and provider-aware. Defaults include gh, git, and ssh; provider-specific authentication follows the registry contract.
zeroshot settings set dockerMounts '["gh","git","ssh","aws"]'
zeroshot run 123 --docker --mount ~/.aws:/root/.aws:ro
zeroshot run 123 --docker --no-mountsSee docs/providers.md for details.
Zeroshot performs best when a task has clear acceptance criteria. If you can't say what "done" means, an independent verifier can't confirm it.
| Task | Good fit? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Add rate limiting (sliding window, per-IP, 429) | Yes | clear requirements |
| Refactor auth to JWT | Yes | defined end state |
| Fix a login bug | Yes | success is measurable |
| "Make the app faster" | No | needs exploration first |
| "Improve the codebase" | No | no acceptance criteria |
- Pre-1.0 in spirit. Interfaces still move between releases; pin your version. (The npm version auto-increments on every merge, so read it as a build counter, not a stability promise.)
- Crash-safe. All state persists to a SQLite ledger;
zeroshot resume <id>continues at any time. - No TUI in this release. Monitor with
zeroshot logs <id> -f,zeroshot list, andzeroshot status <id>.
Architecture, quality gates and command proofs
Zeroshot is a message-driven coordination layer: a conductor classifies each task by complexity and type, a workflow template selects agents and validators, agents publish results to a SQLite ledger, and validators approve or reject with specific findings.
- Required handoff quality gates: in
--pr/--shipflows, the git-pusher fails closed until every configured gate has fresh passing evidence. - Cmdproof: make expensive exact commands reusable across agents with
zeroshot cmdproof check <id>.
See CLAUDE.md for the cluster schema, primitives, and the conductor's classification model.
Zeroshot is Layer 01 · Verification of The Open Engine, the open stack for autonomous software production. Generating code is easy; trusting it is not. The engine is layered because trust is layered:
| Layer | Status | |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Verification: Zeroshot | This repo · open · shipping |
| 02 | Constraints: Opcore | Sibling · alpha |
| 03-05 | Intent · Context · Runtime | In development |
Zeroshot runs the loop: an agent writes the change, and an independent verifier decides whether it holds: approve, or a reproducible failure. Opcore is the sibling layer, a deterministic, local, read-only constraints gate for coding agents. Zeroshot packages Opcore 0.2.1 and uses introduced-change validation so existing repository debt never blocks an otherwise clean change. Verification asks "does this meet the goal?"; constraints ask "is this within tolerance?"
Each layer ships the same way: extracted from the platform we run, then opened. Trust nothing. Verify everything.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup, CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md before participating, and SECURITY.md for security reports. More in docs/ and CLAUDE.md.
Questions and help: Discord.
MIT. The Open Engine Company.
